Liver Disease

Your liver is a powerhouse organ, responsible for filtering blood, processing nutrients, and fighting off infections. When liver health is compromised, it affects your entire body.

What is Liver Disease?

Liver disease refers to any condition that impairs liver function and causes illness. While the liver is remarkably resilient and can function even when damaged, untreated inflammation over time can cause permanent scarring. In severe cases, this may lead to liver failure.

Early detection is crucial, as the liver has an exceptional ability to heal in the initial stages of disease. Our focus is to identify issues early, stop their progression, and help you maintain your quality of life.

Common Causes and Risk Factors

There are many different types of liver disease. While each has unique characteristics, they often share similar underlying causes.

The most common contributors to liver damage include:

Hepatitis A, B, and C are the most common viral causes, leading to inflammation that can damage liver cells.

Fatty liver disease is a buildup of excess fat in the liver, often associated with obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Excessive alcohol intake over time can lead to inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis) and scarring.

Inherited conditions like hemochromatosis and Wilson disease can damage the liver.

In some conditions, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks liver cells or bile ducts, leading to diseases like autoimmune hepatitis.

Certain prescription drugs, over-the-counter pain relievers, and herbal supplements can be toxic to the liver if not used correctly.

Symptoms of Liver Disease

Liver disease is often called a "silent killer" because it frequently causes no signs or symptoms in the early stages. You may not feel sick until significant damage has occurred.

When symptoms do appear, they may include:

  • Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.
  • Abdominal Pain and Swelling: Particularly on the right side beneath the rib cage.
  • Swelling in the Legs and Ankles: Caused by fluid retention.
  • Chronic Fatigue: A persistent feeling of tiredness and weakness.
  • Easy Bruising: A damaged liver produces fewer blood-clotting proteins.
  • Dark urine color.
  • Pale stool color.
  • Nausea or vomiting.

Diagnosing Liver Disease

Because symptoms can be vague or non-existent, accurate testing is essential.

Your evaluation may include:

Blood tests that measure the levels of certain enzymes and proteins in your blood to assess how well the liver is working.

Ultrasound, CT scans, and MRIs allow us to visualize the liver, check for tumors, and look for signs of scarring.

A specialized, non-invasive ultrasound technology that measures the stiffness of the liver to estimate the degree of fibrosis (scarring) without a needle.

In complex cases, a small tissue sample is removed from the liver to be examined under a microscope for a definitive diagnosis.

Treating Liver Disease

Treatment for liver disease depends entirely on the specific diagnosis and how far the condition has progressed.

Common management strategies include:

For conditions like fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, the most effective treatments often involve lifestyle changes, including weight loss, dietary adjustments, and abstaining from alcohol.

Antiviral drugs can cure hepatitis C and manage hepatitis B. Other medications are used to suppress the immune system in autoimmune liver diseases or to manage symptoms of cirrhosis.

Regular check-ups are vital to monitor liver function and screen for complications like liver cancer.

For those with advanced cirrhosis or liver failure, close coordination with transplant centers ensures evaluation of candidacy for liver transplantation.

Find Liver Disease Experts in Westlake or Brooklyn, OH

Your liver health is fundamental to your overall well-being. Whether you have a known condition or are concerned about potential risks, the team at North Shore Gastroenterology is here to provide clarity and care.

Contact us today at (440) 808-1212 or request an appointment online to schedule a visit.